Saudi King agrees with Trump to support Syria, Yemen safe zones

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump held telephonic conversations with the King of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to seek their support for the creation of safe zones in Syria and Yemen, a White House statement said.

The calls on Sunday made no mention of Trump’s ban on the entry of citizens and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, the Politico news magazine reported.

In his call to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the President “requested, and the king agreed to support, safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts,” the White House said.

It was not immediately clear what Trump meant by “requested” safe zones in those two war-struck countries or what the Saudis are willing to do.

The US President and King Salman also “agreed on the importance of rigorously enforcing the (nuclear) deal with Iran and of addressing Tehran’s destabilising regional activities.”

The Saudi Arabian monarch also invited Trump to “lead a Middle East effort to defeat terrorism.”

However, the White House did not give details about Trump’s conversation with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, other than to suggest the call went well and covered traditional subjects such as fighting terrorists.

“The President also raised the idea of supporting safe zones for the refugees displaced by the conflict in the region, and the Crown Prince agreed to support this initiative,” it added.

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